The Tokyo Motor Show doesn't have as much going on in the way of cars as we'd like, but there are still a few gems among the pack – especially in the area of motorsports. The Japanese are as keen about their sports as they are their motors, and when the two are combined, you get some pretty tasty kit. Examples? Check out the Nissan GT-R Super GT, a rallying Japan Subaru WRX STi, several Moto GP offerings, and a Toyota F1 car. And unlike in the passenger car realm, the Europeans haven't been left out, with the Alpina B6 GT3 and a McLaren Formula One racer making a show of things.
Remember back when Toyota actually offered rear-wheel drive cars? Sure, a production version of the FT-86 concept is on the way, and yes, you can get a Toyota-branded truck or plump for a Lexus that routes its power out back – but when was the last time Americans could get a proper rear-driver from the Japanese automaker? It had to be back in 2005 when the third-generation MR2 petered out. And for something with four doors? Let's just say it's been a lot longer.
For Japan's Toyota faithful, however, the rear-drive picture has stayed altogether brighter. Since 2004, the brand has offered the Mark X, a sedan that has shared much of its architecture with the Lexus GS and IS – including its rear- and all-wheel drive configurations. For 2010, the Mark X has come in for a freshening, and the conservatively handsome model has us wishing that Toyota would reconsider offering the model Stateside more than ever.
Sadly, we can't get too excited just yet, because Toyota isn't exactly coughing up all of the key dynamic details. Oh, we know that the second-generation Mark X will be available with either a 2.5-liter or a 3.5-liter V6 paired to a standard six-speed automatic transmission. But Toyota isn't talking much in the way of power or performance metrics, although it does admit that the smaller-engined model will still hit 62 mph in 8.4 seconds.
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Daihatsu has a way with words: the company calls its Deca Deca concept a "super box," and we'll call it a super super box. A funky little piece of chunk, the Deca Deca has a flat floor – and a flat everything else -- along with pillarless doors that render the interior absolutely cavernous. The abyss inside has been tastefully appointed with slim, movable fold-up seats, a table, and an LCD television in case you want to "work inside the vehicle or stow large items."
Interestingly, the car was so popular that we couldn't get close to it until the second day -- there were camera crews around it constantly. But for all that, and with Japanese rents what they are, it might make a fine place to live – after all, it was "designed with leisure use in mind," and how could anyone complain about living in a super box?
We've always thought that Infiniti's current M35M45 sedan deserved greater consideration from American consumers than it has typically received. With a strong VQ-series powerplant and entertaining rear-wheel drive handling, there has always been a lot to like from behind the wheel, but its restrained styling has seemingly always failed to convey the sort of emotion delivered by the driving experience. Thankfully, judging by its just-introduced Nissan Fuga twin here at the Tokyo Motor Show, anonymous styling figures to be less of an Achilles heel going forward.
Powered in the Japanese market by a pair of VQ-series V6 engines displacing 2.5-liters and 3.7-liters respectively (power figures have not been disclosed), the real emphasis for the next-gen model appears to be on advanced safety and creature comfort technology. We're hoping this focus doesn't result in compromised dynamics, but we are very curious to sample such bits of electronic wizardry as Nissan's "Forest AC" that includes a breeze setting and an aroma atomizer, to say nothing of "Intelligent Pedal," a new system that can actually make braking decisions based on data from the sat-nav unit. In our experience, bearing in mind how often the map data has been wrong in a given vehicle's GPS system, we hope that the system doesn't randomly lock up the binders for a phantom hairpin – especially with someone following a bit too closely behind.
Either way, when the Fuga comes to North America next year, we expect it to once again be powered by either the larger of the two VQ-series V6s or a V8 engine. A hybrid model will hit Japan next autumn, and we hear it's also coming Stateside.
Toyota has rolled out its new Sai hybrid here at the Tokyo Motor Show, and if it looks familiar, that's because you've probably seen something very similar wearing "Lexus" and "HS250h" badges.
The overall aesthetic of the Sai is very similar to that of its premium sibling, but it features different light fixtures front and rear, along with bespoke fascias on both ends as well as a unique hood and trunk lid.
The Nippon-market dedicated gas-electric model utilizes the same 2.4-liter gasoline engine tied to Toyota's latest Hybrid Synergy Drive system, and the luxury compact features things like plant-derived plastics and a radar-based pre-crash safety system.
According to Toyota, "Sai" means "talent" and "coloration" depending on how it is written in Japanese, and the name is meant to combine "advanced talent and multi-color sophistication." Obviously.
The automaker expects 36,000 customers to be wooed by the front-driver's colorful talents each year. No word yet on whether the sedan will cross the Pacific as a more affordable Toyota-badged version of the HS250h.
The Suzuki Alto concept is The Kei You Would Never Suspect: unassuming looks belie the fact that this is car Suzuki is going to use to reach a wider audience. The exterior – which, frankly, looks like a ton of other itty bitty already plying on Japan's streets -- has been subtly tweaked to subtly lure in male and female buyers in a wider age group than the current car attracts.
According to the company, the Alto concept "points to the future of the minivehicle by combining newly honed performance with minivehicle economy and user-friendliness," with "styling that appeals to people regardless of age and gender."
Although officially labeled as a concept, the three-cylinder Alto is expected on the roads next year and an all-wheel-drive version is also on the way. Decide on the Alto for yourself with the help of the high-res gallery below and the press release after the break.
Unlike the CR-Z which is nothing more than a thinly veiled preview of an upcoming production model, the Honda Skydeck remains a pure design study at this point. While most automakers would provide a full list of specifications for a concept that is nothing more than a fiberglass buck, Honda isn't bothering with even that. The only thing the automaker says about this Tokyo Motor Show star is that it's a theoretical hybrid.
The SkyDeck is a six-seat MPV with some oddball portals and interesting interior fitments. The front doors swing up Lambo style, while the rear sliders actually pop out like normal doors and drop down as they slide back, ideal for jamming against the curb.
Once inside, the first two rows of seats are cantilever mounted off of the center tunnel and the second row can slide forward and down to stow underneath the fronts. All the seats consist of a mesh material stretched between a wooden frame.
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The Subaru Hybrid Tourer is sharp-nosed and an all-out sharp piece of car. The car's flat floor hides two electric motors, one aft that powers the car in low-speed acceleration and assists with acceleration, and one up front connected to a direct-injection turbocharged gas engine. The Tourer is also fitted with Subaru's trademark symmetrical all-wheel drive system and a Lineatronic CVT transmission.
As for its design, Subie officials tell us that the nose points the way for Subaru's new corporate face and the rest of the car indicates the general design language we'll see from the brand represented by the Pleiades. "It will be anti-Bangle, editing, not adding – cars have too many character lines now." But forget about the gullwing doors -- those were fitted to provide the best view of the interior.
![Tokyo 2009: Lexus reveals $375,000 LFA supercar...finally [w/VIDEO]](http://www.niot.net/blog-images/lexus-lfa-tokyo-2009.jpg)
It seems like the Lexus LFA has been around forever. In reality, the first concept version was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2005, but that's a long time in the automotive world. Additional concepts followed in 2007 and 2008, and the on-off rumors of a production version haven't help. Nevertheless, the production version of the LFA is finally here at the Tokyo Motor Show, and it is glorious. All of which makes it harder to stomach that the car shown here isn't expected to reach customer garages until early 2011.
The specifications of the new rear-drive Lexus supercar are impressive enough: a 4.8-liter V10 with 560 ps (552 bhp), 354 lb-ft torque, a zingy 9,000 rpm redline, six-speed sequential gearbox, 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds, and a top speed of 202 mph. It looks amazing too, both in pictures and in person.
Of course, we can't help but make comparisons to the current reigning Japanese supercar, the Nissan GT-R. At just 3,263 pounds, the LFA easily has a better power-to-weight ratio, but that hasn't seemed to stop the all-wheel drive juggernaut before. Then there is the small matter of cost to consider. Unlike the GT-R, which is considered a performance bargain, the LFA will be exclusive – and costly. Only 500 units will be produced at a cost of...drum roll please....$375,000. Despite the colossal price tag, we hear that Lexus expects to take a loss on each one.
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We got a sneak peak of the FT-86 earlier this month, and now Toyota has just officially revealed its new 2+2 concept here at the Tokyo Motor Show. It's been a while since the Japanese automaker has offered anything resembling a sports car – especially one with rear-wheel drive – so there was plenty of excitement when the covers were pulled off the FT-86. The coupe looks stunning in person, and we particularly like the details like the carbon-fiber rear diffuser and the stunning white leather seats.
We were hoping for more information about the FT-86 at its debut, but Toyota is still keeping quiet about the specific details of the car that is tipped for production in late 2011. Rumor has it that a Subaru 2.0-liter flat-four will be sending power to the rear wheels, and that keeping weight down to a minimum will be a top priority.
